Senator Laura Pearson (R-Kemmerer) called into the Weekday Wake-Up on Monday, December 1 to provide a legislative update. Senator Pearson focused on two pieces of legislation that have been discussed in the Senate Agriculture, State and Public Lands & Water Resources committee over the summer and fall, including a bill relating to Geoengineering and another focused on the transfer or sell of hunting tags from Wyoming landowners.

(0:00) Joining me live over the phone this morning is Wyoming State Senator Laura Tolliver-Pearson (0:05) from Senate District 14 in Kemmer, serving southern Lincoln County and the surrounding (0:09) region. (0:09) Senator Pearson, good morning, how are you today? (0:13) Good morning, Duke, I’m just fine. (0:16) Oh, thank you so much.

(0:17) Sorry about the phone tag this week. (0:20) Oh no, it’s all good, you’re busy and everything worked out just fine, so as always, appreciate (0:25) your time and working me into your schedule. (0:28) I’d like to touch base with our local legislators in the fall and here in the early winter to (0:32) kind of just get an update on the work that you’ve been up to over the summer and the (0:37) fall and the interim, and I’d like to start with the committee work that you’re part of, (0:41) and Senator Pearson is part of the Senate Agriculture, State and Public Lands and Water (0:45) Resources Committee.

(0:46) So Senator Pearson, maybe just walk us through what’s been going on in that committee over (0:50) the course of the year. (0:55) There’s been, well, I think that what most people that are listening right now would (1:02) be most interested in are the transferable landowner hunting licenses, and then there (1:10) was a bill that we passed in this last committee, well actually two, a resolution and a bill (1:17) on geoengineering that has gotten quite a lot of conversation, so those are two. (1:27) We’ve also done some stuff as far as leasing state lands for ag and things like that.

(1:36) Anyway, but I’m sure that the public would like to know about those two bills in particular, (1:44) so do you have any questions for me on those? (1:48) Yeah, maybe just give us some background. (1:50) Let’s start with the geoengineering bill. (1:53) What does that all entail? (1:54) What’s that about? (1:57) So the geoengineering bill, we did both a resolution and a bill in this committee that (2:03) both passed.

(2:04) I mean, I think that there’s going to need to be something in it or something stripped (2:13) out if it gets the two-thirds vote in this budget session, you know? (2:19) I mean, these are obviously just starting points, but in a budget session, it is pretty (2:26) difficult to get pretty much any bills other than budget-related items passed because you (2:36) have to have a two-thirds majority in each house to get them passed. (2:40) So anyway, so the geoengineering, that actually started as a resolution. (2:51) I mean, it’s no secret that for years I have been questioning my legislators as far as what (2:59) is being sprayed in our skies, and there was a resolution that came out of two counties (3:11) earlier this year and actually passed the state GOP central committee meeting this resolution (3:19) to send to Congress, asking or letting Congress know that we do not consent to geoengineering (3:27) and what’s being sprayed in our skies, and there’s plenty of data out there and people (3:32) that have been doing research for years as far as these chemicals that are being sprayed.

(3:39) And so that was actually a resolution that was passed at the state central committee (3:45) level, which our precinct committeemen and women in each county are closest to the people, (3:56) and they are listening to the people that, you know, and I received emails on it as well. (4:03) Last legislative session, there was a bill that didn’t end up passing in committee. (4:14) And so, you know, the people are very interested in this, the people in our state, and they’re noticing it.

(4:22) And so both of these bills did get passed, a resolution and an actual bill to be introduced. (4:32) And we’ll just have to see where that goes, you know, I mean, obviously you and I have (4:39) talked Duke and, you know, I’m not threatened by what people want to say as far as me being (4:48) a conspiracy theorist or wearing a tinfoil hat or things like that. (4:54) I mean, these are things that I’ve noticed, I’ve done the research, I’ve looked into these (4:59) things and so willing to do what the people want.

(5:06) And so no matter how much heat I get for that, so I’m going to keep pushing for this and I (5:14) want some excellent explanations. (5:17) I want to know what is being sprayed overhead. (5:20) I want to know, even though that is the federal airspace, I want to know what is coming into (5:27) Wyoming’s airspace and what is happening as far as our soil, our air, our water, because I’ve noticed.

(5:38) I mean, I am an agriculture person and I have noticed over the years how much our bridge has (5:47) changed and how native species in the state of Wyoming are dying off. (5:54) And I want to know why. (5:56) And so that is the reason behind this.

(6:00) And we’ll just see where it goes. (6:02) And so that’s kind of the basis behind that. (6:07) That wasn’t just me wanting this, it was actually a resolution that passed at the state central (6:16) committee, GOP central committee meeting, where the people are asking the same questions (6:21) that I was.

(6:22) So that’s where we are on that one. (6:25) Wyoming State Senator Laura Tolliver-Pearson this morning on the weekday wake up. (6:28) We’ll see where it goes.

(6:29) She’s mentioned a bill and a resolution, still need that two-thirds in a budget session to (6:33) get in, so we’ll keep an eye on it. (6:35) You also mentioned, Senator, remind me, the wording, was it the land transfer bill? (6:41) Was this in regards to the sale of hunting licenses by landowners? (6:46) Is that, am I understanding that correctly? (6:48) Is that what this is? (6:50) Yes. (6:51) So this is, this was a, and this also passed in the ad committee.

(6:58) There’s a lot of controversy in this as well between hunters and landowners across the (7:06) state and hunting groups. (7:10) I have been listening to all sides of this argument and actually this was a bill for (7:17) transferable landowner hunting licenses. (7:21) It was, it’s to allow landowners to be able to sell two of their landowner tags.

(7:31) We did approve some amendments on there saying that only resident landowners would qualify (7:37) to transfer the two tags. (7:39) I added in some amendments on there to kind of, to kind of make hunters more at ease. (7:58) And of course, some of those amendments did not pass.

(8:01) So one amendment that I added was I wanted 100,000, it said minimum income from the (8:09) sale of agricultural commodities had to be $100,000, at least $100,000 or receives not (8:17) less than $25,000 from leasing of land for agricultural production. (8:23) So the premise behind that was to go back to the reason that landowner tags were originally (8:31) given to landowners and that was that to show appreciation for agricultural landowners that (8:40) actually had agriculture on the county tax rolls. (8:45) And so I put a pretty high bar on that because I know that a lot of our hunters are worried (8:53) that people that have 160 acres, maybe not of per se agricultural land, would not be (9:04) able to qualify to be able to sell or transfer two of their tags.

(9:10) And so I tried to put a high bar on that. (9:15) I also put an amendment in there saying that 25% of all transferable tags, meaning the (9:23) governor tags, the commissioner tags and landowner tags would be earmarked to fund an (9:30) increase on hunting coupons. (9:32) So as you know, when a hunter gets a license, there’s a coupon that is attached to that (9:40) license where that hunter can give that coupon, which is worth about $16 to a landowner who (9:47) allows access on their land.

(9:50) And so my idea behind this was that 25% of any sales, any tags that were sold, whether it be (9:58) governor, commissioners or landowners, would go into a pot earmarked to increase that $16, (10:08) maybe to $100, maybe to give landowners more incentive to allow hunters on their land. (10:20) And it would help all landowners across the state, whether they have land that qualifies as (10:30) ag or not. (10:32) So that was the idea behind that, was to help all landowners who are providing forage for (10:38) wildlife.

10:41) Then I also said in there that in order to qualify for this program, the landowners shall (10:48) allow hunters access to public land. (10:51) So my idea behind that was that if a landowner wants to be a part of this program and be (10:58) able to transfer two tags, that they need to allow public access to public lands through (11:07) their land. (11:08) You know, and I wanted it to be by some sort of permission.

(11:14) I put written permission in there, but the reason behind that is that I want to increase (11:21) this communication between hunters and landowners again, and I want to stop what is (11:31) going on in the state as far as public lands being landlocked by private land. (11:38) And so the reasoning behind that. (11:41) So I’m trying to do what both hunters want and landowners want.

(11:48) I mean, landowners need. (11:52) Many landowners need this extra income to just get by from year to year, you know. (12:00) And I want public hunters to have access to this landlocked public land.

(12:07) And so I thought that that would be a good amendment for that. (12:11) Some of these amendments did not pass and I don’t know why. (12:15) Like I’m trying to do work both sides and listen to the public, listen to the hunters, (12:21) listen to the landowners and get something passed in that.

(12:29) Another idea that came from a constituent said that maybe we should say that these (12:38) transferable tags would come out of the non-resident quota, which might be an idea. (12:46) You know, I’m trying to listen to everybody. (12:48) And if it comes because a lot of transferable tags, as you know, the governor tags, the (12:54) commissioner tags, many times go to people from out of state anyway.

(12:59) And so I’m just listening to all sides and trying to figure out a way to make this work. (13:07) So that’s where we are on the transferable landowner hunting licenses. (13:14) I’m trying to listen to all sides and come to some sort of an agreement.

(13:20) And so that’s where we are on that. (13:23) All right. That’s Senator Laura Tolliver-Pearson, Senate District 14 this morning, (13:27) giving us a call from southern Lincoln County.

(13:29) Senator, as always, thank you so much for your time. (13:32) And of course, the budget session. (13:33) So we’ll be watching as things pop up this year in the session.

(13:37) We really appreciate your time and for the update. (13:39) Thank you. (13:40) Okay.

(13:40) Thank you very much. (13:42) It’s all part of the weekday wake up this morning on the SBI radio network.